1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, such as a digital camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is technology which realizes a live view function in a single-lens reflex camera. The live view function allows time-series images of a subject to be sequentially displayed on a liquid crystal display or the like. In other words, the live view function allows subject images to be displayed in a movie-like manner on a liquid crystal display or the like.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications Nos. 2000-13663 and 2006-11025 describe a technique in which a beam splitter or a half mirror is disposed in an optical path of a finder optical system, a beam from a subject is split by the beam splitter or half mirror into a first component directed toward an image pickup device and a second component directed toward a finder window, and a live view function is realized by guiding the first component to the image pickup device.
In this technique, however, since a beam from the subject is split by the beam splitter or half mirror into the first and second components as described above, there is a problem in that a subject image observed as the second component through the finder window is dark.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-133846 describes a technique for solving such a problem. In this technique, an image pickup device for live view is provided separately from that for image pickup (i.e., for still image recording). Additionally, in a finder optical path near an eyepiece, a movable reflecting mirror capable of moving back and forth with respect to the finder optical path is disposed. Then, by moving the reflecting mirror back and forth with respect to the finder optical path, a beam from a subject can be selectively directed toward either the eyepiece or image pickup device for live view.